merc lower unit

[justingregfavorite]

I have a 1974 85hp merc w/ a lower unit that will not engage. The shifter is engaging at the upper unit but i'm not getting anything at the lower unit, no grinding nothing. The prop spins both ways even in gear. There is also excess play in the prop shaft. I'm going to pull the lower unit in the morning and need to know what to check first.

 

[joe Hetz]

Re: merc lower unit

Could be your pinion gear.

 

[justingregfavorite]

Re: merc lower unit

Thanks for the input. Before I pulled the lower unit, I was checking the prop to see if it spun both ways when I engaged the forward gear. It did and then the whole prop assembly pulled out with shaft and all. The threads had stripped on the piece with reverse threads that holds the whole assembly in side the housing upon further inspection I also noticed the hub in front of this piece was also cracked. The seals must have been bad because the housing was full of water and ice. So much for buying a used boat and motor. The threads on the inside of the housing are in pretty bad shape too, Is there anything that can be done without replacing the whole housing besides the hub, seals, and the locking mechanism. Thanks for the help.